Minister Pusić and her Brazilian counterpart discuss shipbuilding and energy as areas of future cooperation

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Vesna Pusić 25 January 2013 met with her Brazilian counterpart Antonio de Aquiar Patriota on the margins of the EU-CELAC Summit in Santiago, Chile

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Vesna Pusić 25 January 2013 met with her Brazilian counterpart Antonio de Aquiar Patriota on the margins of the EU-CELAC Summit in Santiago, Chile. 

Patriota said Brazil was interested in developing stronger economic relations with Croatia as well as cooperation in multilateral forums. He inquired about the state of affairs in Croatia pending the EU membership and the situation in Southeast Europe. 

Pusić stressed that Croatia’s geopolitical position was one of our key advantages, while the development of infrastructure and the realization of energy projects were this government’s economic priorities. Speaking about the neighbouring countries, Pusić said that the Euro-Atlantic integration was a framework for the implementation of reforms and state institution building, which is in fact a guarantee of security for the entire region. 

She also informed her Brazilian counterpart about meeting the requirements from the Action Plan, notably in regard to shipbuilding. Patriota said that Brazil was interested in the construction of smaller vessels and yachts, as Brazil too has gone through a shipbuilding downturn, but is now on the rise again. “More and more Brazilians are discovering Croatia as a tourist destination,” Patriota said, adding that that was not just because the purchasing power of the Brazilian middle class was growing, but also because Brazil's tourism industry was underdeveloped. 

The two ministers agreed that it would be good to arrange a meeting of business delegations as soon as possible to pinpoint the areas of common economic interest, including energy and renewable energy sources. 

Patriota said his country was interested in sending Brazilian students to overseas universities, which Pusić welcomed, stressing that Croatian universities had both the capacity and the projects for such cooperation.

Press releases